Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

>. -- -- - -- I • FIM World Championship MX Series - Round 13: Circuit of Cas iglione del Largo " lIJotocross-- -._~ 500cc GP The battle of the Belgians was once again on show in Italy_ Just as was the case in the last three GPs, Everts led Smets through the first moments of the 500cc moto, but with the championship his for the winning, Everts seemed a little tight. In fact, Smets breezed by on lap three after showing Everts his front wheel. From that moment on, Everts could do nothing but wait for his defeat to come. Nearing the end of the moto, Everts also looked in danger of losing second place, as Johnny Undhe and Mamicq Bervoets closed in on him_ "I did not feel good," Everts said. "I was making many mistakes in the had to get to them. If you want to As for Pichon, he was again in a race with those guys, you have to get class of his own, never having to the race. At one point I got tired; then I got my rhythm back and was able to to them at the start, and I didn't. I race with anyone once the moto hit charge again as the moto came to the enjoyed the race - plenty of jumps, the halfway stage, despite lacking which suits me. I am still pretty motivation. first laps, and Joel put a lot of pressure on. I tried to keep the lead, and then decided to let him by and take a end. I am not as motivated, but winning is still very important for the team and me. I have been working safe second place. I do not need to hard all season long, and I am a little the end of the race, I just took it easy." win here today, and the risk of injury was not worth taking chances. Near happy. I'm now only two points away "The track was good for me from second place in the champi- today," Pichon said. "I had good lap sick of motocross at the moment. I Smets again showed what a class onship - who would have thought that times. My start was not so good, but I like to win, but if I had scored second act he is. Despite looking down and at the start of the year?" really charged hard in the early part of today, it would have been okay." out in the points chase some weeks BRIEFLY••• All of the major pIeces of the puzzle that is Silly Season are in place. Australian Andrew McFarlane has left the Rinaldi Yamaha team and signed WIth the Jan De Groot Kawasaki team for 2002, while Thomas Tl'llVet'Slnl WIll race the 1250c class for the Italian Maddl Honda team, Perhaps the biggest change is the fact the Free Time squad - currently on Yamahas - WIll be sup· ported by the Honda factory In 2002, The team riders WIll be Josh Coppins, Pit Seirer and possibly Andrea Bartolini on the Honda four-stroke. Amencan Tallon Vohlencl (who was In Italy for the GP as a spectator) WIll retum to Europe to race for the Bntlsh Church Kawasaki team In the 125cc Grands Prix and Bnlish championshIps, and his countryman Jeff Dement WIll also ride for the Italian SRS Ho"d8 team. Briton Paul Cooper has signed with the Bntish CAS Honda team, and Italian AlessIo Chiod, will race ,n the 250cc class for Yamaha. Mickael PIChon. who recently SOld he dId not want to race In the MX des Nations, has changed hiS ml1ld After the French Federation piCked DevIcI Vulllemln, Y_ Demaria and Luigi Seguy for the team. Pichon put hIS name back In the hal. The Federation, however. will not change the team. wh'ch means the current 250cc World Champion Will not race at Namur Also out of the des Nations are Grant Langston. Jamie Dobb, Sebastien Tortelli, Mamicq Bervoets. RICky Carmichael. Mike Brown and KeVIn Windham. It appears that the only World or U.S. champ on show will be Stefan Everts or Joel Smets (depending upon who WIns the tItle), Smets WIll race a 250cc KTM for BelgIum. while Everts WIll campaign a Yamaha four-stroke. _m Chad Reed feels that h,s Austrellen can Win the MX des Nations. deSPI e the fact that the country has never even hnlshed on the podium thus far. "We can win It." Reed told "Why not7 It's Just like a GP, and we have as good a chance as anyone. Andrew McFarlane. MIchael Byrne and myself are all dOing okay intematlonally I would like to think we can holeshot each moto and go from there." Reed and McFarlane, tn fact, got the holeshot in the" respective motos at thiS year's Belgian GP, held at Namur ,n August, with Reed gOing on to hnlsh second in the 250cc race and McFarlane taking 11M In the 500cc class. Byrne, who rode to ninth place in the EA Sports Supercross Series, is also in good form. Mike Brown failed to show at the Italian Grand Prix, despite mentioning in an interv,ew In America a month pnor to the event that he would race. Brown had also saId he would race 14 Supercross races In Europe this year, but due to the travel problems in America. the new National champ might have changed hIS mind. Rumors in the Pits ,n Italy had the West cigarette coa'I......y entenng the motocross CircUS. It 's not known which team West might sponsor. though it does back the Honda West Pons squad in GP road racIng, 8 SEPTEMBER 26,2001 • 0: U a •• n _ .... The opening of the Italian Grand Prix was a very emotional one. With respect to the Americans who lost therr lives in the terrorist attacks last week. there was a minute's silence prior to the first moto of the GP, With a crowd nearly 20.000 people strong, the hushed silence was very moving. "Words cannot speak for what happened in America," said AM motocross delegate Wolfgang Srb. "We felt we should go on with the races, however, something had to be done to show our support to America. The minute's silence was very. very emotional for everyone at the track. We want the United States of America to know that we support them.· Every competitor also wore a black amnband for the occasion. "HaVIng seen the Images on television. I can understand that the Americans are in need of our support," said Joel Smets, who raced a National in the U.S. earlier this year, "What has happened is a terrible thing. I've been to America on holidays, and it's a great place. The people are so proud of their counliry. My heart goes out to the people who have lost loved ones, and I hope one day we can find who did this terrible thing." News spread at the GP that. in light of the tragedy, the American team had made the decision to not attend the Motocross des Nations this year. "Everyone wants to race the American riders," said Mickael Pichon, who raced in the States for some time before leaving on bad temns. "We all want to beat them. I fully understand them not wanting to come to Namur, and if it was my counliry that had been attacked, I would feel the same. The Motocross des Nations will not be the same without them." There were calls from the press that the Chamberlain Trophy. which typically goes to the winner of the Motocross des Nations, be Qiven back to the Americans after this year's event, despite the team's absence. "It's a good idea," Srb said. "That will be up to the team which wins. I know we will support such an idea, This year, the Motocross des Nations loses something very special without the American riders. They have been such a big part of the event.'

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